Silent Guardian
by Kirabaros
Summary: The Winchester brothers have always had someone in the shadows watching out for them. A series of one shots of different times someone helps from the shadows. Told from multiple views from Weechester to Winchester. Ch 11 Summer Camp Sucks.
1. Pneumonia

**Silent Guardian**

**Pneumonia**

Mary Winchester looked in from the door of the room of her son trying hard not to break down again. It was hard enough with the pregnancy making her overly emotional without her breaking up over this. It was not her fault but it was hard to see her son lie there, in bed, burning up. John told her so yet she couldn't help the feeling.

"How's he doing?"

Mary turned to see her husband and love of her life John looking at her. She replied, "He's sleeping now. Maybe the doctor will be able to do something in the morning."

"And you?"

Mary placed a hand on her abdomen and looked down. She sighed, "As well as can be expected. I just hope that… I don't know what we'll do…"

John pulled Mary into a hug and did his best to comfort her. He glanced over at his son for once sleeping albeit a bit fitfully. He gave a kiss to Mary and said, "Don't worry Mary. Dean is as strong as they come. He'll pull through this. Come on. You need your sleep." He pulled Mary away and shut the door. He would check on Dean later.

Once Mary was settled down, John went back to Dean's room. He noticed that the window was open and the curtains were billowing. He gave a slight frown and went to shut it. He then heard Dean rustle under the covers, "Daddy?"

John smiled and replied, "Hey Dean."

"Owies n thirsty."

John knew right away what his son was saying and went to get a glass of water and some aspirin for children. He sat with Dean until he went back to sleep, stroking the flushed head. He couldn't believe that it was pneumonia but that was what the doctor ad said and he had given instructions on keeping Dean comfortable. In the morning Dean was due for a checkup and for the results of some tests that had been taken. Seeing that Dean was asleep, John gave him a kiss on the forehead and wished him a good night and to sleep well. He went to the door and took one last look and closed the door.

Mary awoke early in the morning and went to check on Dean. Upon opening the door, she found Dean sitting up in bed playing with a stuffed animal that she never remembered seeing before. That didn't matter though. What mattered was that Dean was awake and he didn't look feverish at all. He was lively, talking to the stuffed animal and being very animated. Mary could hardly believe it.

Dean sensed that someone was in the room and turned to see his mother. "Mommy, owies are gone!"

Mary felt the tears prickle in her eyes. She went to her son's bedside and sat on the bed. She stroked her son's dirt blonde hair. There was no trace of fever. It was a miracle. Then her eyes lighted on the stuffed animal. She asked, "Who's this Dean?"

"He's Xander. He is a superhero dog."

Mary smiled at her son. "Why that name sweetie?"

"Pwotects me from being sick. My sleeps tell me so." Dean went back to playing with the toy dog.

Mary took a moment to look at the little dog and saw that it was a German Shepherd… just like a dog that… Mary then looked at the window. It was closed and locked. Could it have been? Mary searched the house for other signs but found none. She was certain that it was… She was distracted by John telling her that Dean was ready to go. Mary pushed it to the back of her mind as they left to go to the doctor's office.

Sitting in the office, Mary listened to the doctor's amazement at Dean's recovery. John was asking questions but Mary sat in silence. She said nothing but thanked the doctor. Mary watched her son hold the toy dog that he refused to be parted with. She knew now for sure how her son recovered. She gazed out the window of the car as John drove them home. In the reflection of the glass, she could see a memory of a time long passed. She turned to see Dean sitting in the back seat holding his dog, then to John and smiled, and then back out the window. She whispered, "Thank you."


	2. Pertussis

**Pertussis**

"Where's Sammy?"

Mary looked down at her son Dean as he stared back up at her clinging to the toy dog that he had not been able to part with. He was looking at her with scared hazel eyes and she could tell that he was worried about his baby brother. She put on a brave face and replied, "Sammy is fine. The doctors just need to look over at him and they need room so we're waiting here."

Dean frowned at that and said, "Sammy need me. Sammy scared. I needs to be with Sammy."

Mary looked at her oldest son. At four, Dean was protective of his baby brother. He had been ecstatic when he was born and wouldn't let anyone touch him once Mary showed him how to hold the baby. She figured that a bond developed right then and there because Sam had woken up and stared for the longest time at Dean while he stared back. It was as if silently they were making a vow to watch out for each other.

Sitting there in the waiting area was probably just as agonizing for Dean as it was for Mary and John was probably breaking traffic laws to get there. Mary tried to placate Dean, "Sammy needs to be looked at by the doctor. When the doctor says it's okay, then you can see Sammy."

Dean pouted but he accepted it. He sat on the floor and held his toy dog and stared at the direction Sammy had been taken. He started whispering, "Xander should be with Sammy. You pwotect Sammy. My sleeps says so."

Mary overheard him and prayed that everything would be all right with Sam for Dean's sake. The baby was only four months and very sick. He came down with a bad cough that had him sounding like an old man and there was a fever in his little peaked face. Sammy was having trouble breathing so she rushed him down to the hospital and they whisked him away for examination. Now they were sitting there, waiting to hear the doctor's prognosis.

At that time, John came running in. He had gotten the call at the garage that his youngest was taken to the emergency room and wasted no time in getting there. Dean spotted him first and ran up to him saying that Sammy was sick and the mean nurses wouldn't let him be with Sammy. John picked up his eldest and asked, "How's Sam?"

"The doctor hasn't come back yet. John he was having trouble breathing…" Mary broke off. She couldn't cry in front of Dean. That would only make him upset. She reached up and stroked her son's locks and gave a look at John that told him her worry.

"Family for Sam Winchester?"

Dean wriggled to be put down and marched up to the doctor and demanded, "I wants to see my Sammy."

The doctor gave a good natured smile and beckoned the nurse to show Dean to his brother. At least it would give him a chance to speak to the parents. Once Dean was gone, he told them that Sam had contracted whooping cough or pertussis. Unfortunately it wasn't looking good for the baby and that it looked like that he might take a turn for the worse and die.

John looked like he wanted to throttle the doctor into making his son well and Mary clung to her husband, afraid that if she let go, she might do something that she might regret later on. It wasn't possible! Sammy was going to die! It wasn't fair! First Dean and now Sam. Mary couldn't understand why this was happening at all. She couldn't believe it. She asked if the could see Sam and the doctor obliged.

Dean was already there chattering away to Sam, "Lookee Sammy, this is Xander. He's a superhero like Batman. Here Sammy. He'll protect you." Dean then placed the stuffed dog next to his baby brother. Gently he took his brother's hand and placed it on the dog where Sammy curled his fingers into a little fist. Dean smiled, "Now Xander will protect you Sammy. You'll get better."

Mary watched her son give up his prized possession to his baby brother and the childlike faith he had that Sammy would get better. She watched as John went over and picked Dean up in a hug and listened as Dean told him that Xander was on the case and going to watch over Sammy. Mary knew she didn't want to lose her son and she knew that there was one person who could help. She asked the nurse if there was a phone that she could use.

Mary hesitated as she rested her hand on the phone. She knew that by making this call, she was entering that world she wanted to leave behind. Yet, she reasoned, it came back to see her when Dean was sick with pneumonia and it left a calling card. Mary knew that her friend had meant what she said and she had proven it when she saw Dean sitting up that morning. With firm resolve, she picked up the phone and dialed the number and prayed that it was still active.

She didn't have long to wait. On the third ring, the line was picked up and Mary heard the voice she hadn't heard since the day that John proposed. She said, "It's me, Mary. I need your help. It's Sammy and…"

Mary didn't want to leave but she knew that it was better that way. She had a hard time dragging Dean away. John promised that they would be back first thing in the morning and Sammy had Xander. That placated Dean and he went willingly. Mary was the last to leave the room and was reassured by the nurse that Sammy would be okay. What Mary was hoping to see was her friend but she knew better. Her friend wouldn't show unless she wanted it that way so she followed John and Dean out to the car.

It was no surprise the next morning to see Sammy wriggling like a baby should as he was grabbing and chewing on Xander's ear. Dean was delighted and told Sammy that drooling was gross and not to do it on Xander. The doctor's report stated that he was amazed that Sammy had been able to do a complete turnaround. There was no scarring on the lungs, nothing to indicate that the baby had ever been sick with pertussis.

Mary merely smiled in relief and happiness. Her friend had come as she said she would. She looked at John to show her happiness. What made her even happier was seeing her two boys interacting like they always did. Though Sammy couldn't talk, he was giggling and laughing at his brother and Dean was chattering away.

As they were walking down the hall with Mary holding Sammy and John occasionally looking on with happiness, Dean bounced along behind, happy that his brother was okay. He was bouncing along when he bumped into a lady. He said he was sorry and the lady chuckled and said it was alright. She then said that it was a good thing he had his little protector and pointed at the toy dog. Dean merely smiled and said Xander was the bestest.

It was then that Mary called for Dean. Dean scampered off after saying bye to the lady. Mary did a double take and thought she saw her friend. It wasn't until later that Mary found a scrap of paper with some familiar writing on it with the words to a song. She knew that her friend was letting her know that she was still her friend and she was always watching… silently.


	3. Damn Witches

**Damn Witches**

Witches were always a pain in the ass. The spells and the rituals and the things they did to people. John Winchester didn't like dealing with them but he was a hunter. While tracking down the think that killed Mary, he hunted the things that people thought were nothing more than ghost stories. He was training his boys in the business, well Dean more than Sam but he made sure Sam knew the basics in how to defend himself at the tender age of six.

Six years old and already the kid could throw a punch. Then again he had to learn with a brother like Dean. John watched as his boys wrestled on the ground of the motel. Apparently Sam was trying to get back a toy that Dean was playing keep away with. As much as he wanted to make them behave, John hesitated. He knew that staying safe was important but so were moments like this. That's why he was reluctant to go hunt the witch that he was after.

When Sam finally managed to wrestle his toy car away from Dean, John called Dean over saying that was enough. He looked at his eldest son and took in the hazel green eyes. He had an expression that was similar to Mary's when his full attention was on something. It made him miss Mary all the more which was why he was trying to find the demon that killed her. Right now though he had to deal with a witch who was doing something to the kids in town. He didn't want to leave his boys alone but hehad to protect them

"What do you need me to do Dad?"

John's attention was diverted to Dean where he was waiting expectantly. He said, "I'm going out to work Dean. I need you to look after your brother while I'm gone. You remember the drill?"

"Yes sir."

John wanted to tell Dean not to do that but he had taught the boy to follow his orders and somewhere along the line had both of his sons call him sir when he was being serious. He smiled and ruffled Dean's hair as he stood up and picked up his duffle. Before he left, he turned towards Dean and said, "Now you know that when I call, I let it ring once and then I call back."

"Yes sir."

"Keep the door locked and the salt lines down."

"Yes sir."

John took one last look at his sons and then left the motel room. He headed towards the Impala and threw his bag in the car before getting in and starting the engine. He cast one last look before he took off to meet a fellow hunter Gabe.

* * *

><p>Dean locked the door and went to check up on Sammy. At ten, he already was taking care of his brother like a parent would. He made sure Sammy ate his meals, did his homework when they went to school, and made sure he went to bed on time. Dinner was going to be simple as it always was. He went to the kitchen and called out, "Sammy, you want Spaghetti O's?"<p>

Sam let out a slight groan and hoped that Dean didn't hear it. He really didn't want to eat it but it was pretty much all they had at the moment. Dad hadn't been able to get paid yet so they had to make do with the cheap stuff. He replied, "Okay Dean."

Dean knew Sammy was tired of the stuff and so was he but they had to make due. He made sure Sammy was watching TV while he cooked their dinner. It was one can so they had to split it. Dean though gave Sammy the bigger half. The other stuff didn't matter because Sammy was his priority. It was his job to watch out for Sam.

The food was done heating up and Dean had it dished out when he called for his brother. Sammy came in carrying a rather battered German shepherd toy dog. He said, "Look Dean, I found this under the bed."

Dean was almost ready to snatch whatever it was out of Sam's hand. The spot under the bed was his hiding place and he had told Sammy that hundreds of times and to stay away. It was also where he hid the spare shotgun aside from the one under his pillow. When he saw what it was, he stopped. He had forgotten that he stashed it under there. He said, "Where did you find it?"

"Under the bed like I said Dean," Sam replied giving a frown. "It was sticking out. Why do you have it?"

Of course Sammy wouldn't remember and Dean never really showed anyone. Sometimes when he was scared he would pull it out and hold it until Dad came back from a job. He remembered getting it when he was sick but the lady who gave it to him was like a dream. He couldn't remember her face. He remembered calling it his sleeps. It sounded funny now but what she said was true since Sammy held it when he was sick and he got better. Since then Dean held onto and in a way it did protect him. He said to Sammy, "That's Xander, Sammy. He's a superhero dog."

"Doesn't look like it to me," Sam replied as he sat at the table. He frowned as he tried to discern what was so special about the dog.

"Well he is. He's special so shut up and eat your dinner."

Sam stuck out his tongue before looking down at his bowl. He watched as Dean took small bites trying to make his last. He knew that Dean had giving him more than his fair share. He tried to empty some into Dean's bowl was stopped from doing it. He didn't try again and listened to Dean when it was time to go to bed. As Dean was tucking him in, Sam asked, "Dean, are there monsters under the bed?"

Dean smiled at his younger brother, "No Sammy. I checked."

"Are you sure?"

Dean decided to do something about it. He went to fetch Xander who was left on the table and brought it over to Sam. He handed it over, "Here. He'll watch out for them Sammy. He won't let anything bad happen to you."

It did seem childish but the look on his baby brother's face told Dean that it was worth it. He waited until he was sure that Sammy was asleep before doing a patrol check on the room. He did everything that Dad had taught him to do and he went to sit in the chair in front of the TV with a shotgun across his knees. He was determined to stay awake until Dad came back but his eyes grew heavier until they closed completely.

Dean didn't wake up until he heard a noise. Someone was in the room. His first thought was to get to Sammy. Grabbing the shotgun, he raced to the room. He found that Sammy was fast asleep and his arm was wrapped tight around Xander. There was the noise again and he turned to find some guy in the room. How he got in, Dean had no idea since he made sure that he had everything checked. He pointed the shotgun at the intruder only to have it yanked out of his hands.

Dean was scared but he knew he had to protect Sammy. He raced forward and tried to tackle the guy. He was shoved roughly and he hit a table. The back of his head smacked the edge and he was seeing stars and he felt blood run. He looked up to see the man advance towards him when suddenly he was yanked backwards and Dean saw him being held by a second person. He couldn't see who it was.

The stranger threw the guy aside and then stood with their back towards Dean. Dean took the opportunity to grab the shotgun and race to protect Sammy. He made it to the door when the guy got up and started fighting with the stranger. The stranger fought back and just as Dean brought up the shotgun, Dad burst through the door. The stranger had grabbed the guy and crashed out of the window. The noise woke up Sammy and Dean rushed towards his brother taking care to hide the shotgun. "You okay Sammy?"

"What was that Dean?" Sam sat up and rubbed his eyes ignoring their dad going about and checking the room.

"Just an accident. Everything is okay Sammy. See Xander kept you safe." Dean pointed at the battered dog. He failed to notice the look his father had on his face watching his sons and the glance he gave out the window.

* * *

><p>The night had been a bust for John so he went back to check up on his sons. He knew something was wrong the minute he found the dead body inside the main office. He quickly raced towards the room and busted in. He barely got a glimpse of the two combatants. One grabbed the other, his witch, and crashed out of the window. He did a check of the room and went to see his sons.<p>

He waited until Dean had settled Sam back into bed before he called Dean over. He asked Dean what happened. He listened and then told Dean to go to bed. He went outside to check before packing the car. They had to leave now to make sure the boys were safe. As he packed the car, he noticed that there was a small bag in the car. He picked it up and opened it. Inside was food for the road and some for later. John looked around for any trace. Out fell a scrap of paper. John read it and paused.

Mary had mentioned that their family was being watched over. John always thought that that she was referring to her belief that angels watched over them. Reading this note, John wondered if there really was someone out there. It occurred to him that this same person had been around to cure Dean and Sam. It explained quite a bit. John looked around. One day he would find this person and thank them for saving his sons.


	4. Schoolyard Bullies

**Schoolyard Bullies**

Dean always looked after Sam. That was his job ever since Dad gave him at six months to carry out of a burning house. Dean tried to live up to the standards that he had set for himself when it came to protecting Sam. If he had his way, he would be with Sam 24/7 but as it was, they had this annoying thing called school.

Dean was never interesting in going to school but Dad was responsible in that respect and it really was the law that said that they had to be in school. At least there were plenty of adults to make the school appear to be safe. Like that was the case since Dean knew that there were things those teachers had no clue about.

Right now he was sitting in class and they had to write a story about anything that happened in their life. Dean could have blown it off but he had already gotten in trouble for 'nudging' a kid who was 'nudging' him. He had to stay in for the upcoming recess. It pissed him off since it was the only time he was able to meet up with Sammy and check on him. He also wanted to ask Sammy about the spelling test that he was supposed to have today since he spent the week helping his little brother learn the words and practicing.

Dean smiled in pride at his little brother. At seven Sammy could already read and write better than the kids in his class. He was good in math and science and of course he knew how to kick butt. Dean fondly remembered the times he spent reading with Sammy and teaching him how to write. They made up their own code and would leave messages for each other. It drove Dad crazy to find scraps of paper everywhere but he was proud of his boys. Thinking about the more happy thoughts, Dean decided to write about the day he taught Sammy how to throw a punch. It would probably piss the old biddy who was his teacher off but he didn't care. When Sammy was able to finally punch the dummy with the clown face he had taped to it, Dean had wanted to whoop for joy.

Picking up his pencil, Den began to write, occasionally looking at the girl next to him and flirted with her. He once got a slight tap from the old biddy and when her back was turned, he stuck his tongue out at her. The classmates who saw started tittering and Dean quickly bent over his paper to avoid being caught. When recess came, Dean crossed his arms and stared defiantly at the old biddy. He only hoped that Sammy had done all right.

* * *

><p>Sam looked around the schoolyard for his brother Dean. He wanted to tell him that he got all the spelling words right. He knew that Dean would be proud and would probably take him for an ice cream after school. Dean usually did when Sammy brought home good grades.<p>

Sam looked around the playground but he couldn't see Dean. He wondered if something happened to his big brother and decided to look around the playground. He went by the sandboxes first where the cute girls hung out. Sometimes Dean liked to talk to them and when he did, Sam was supposed to look cute or get lost for a little bit depending on the signal Dean sent him. He didn't find Dean there so he wandered around the places that they sometimes hung out with.

At one point Sam was starting to worry about Dean. He wasn't scared but he was lonely. Dean had never left him alone without telling him. He wandered around the playground until he was pushed by a bigger kid that had been running. Sam didn't realize that he had wandered into the middle of a basketball game and he was caught in the middle.

The kid that pushed him ended up tripping. When he got up he looked for the guy that tripped him and he saw Sam on the pavement. He walked up to him and said, "What you do that for you little punk?"

"I'm looking for my brother," Sam answered honestly.

The kid started laughing. He said to his friends, "The kid's looking for his brother. What are you a baby?"

Sam looked at the taller kid with big eyes. He was used to people being taller than he was but this kid was downright scary. He mustered up his courage though and replied, "I'm not a baby. I like being with my brother."

The kid began laughing. "What a freak!" He then beckoned to the others and they began pushing at Sam calling him a baby and a freak.

Sam tried to fight back and pushed against the kid that taunted him. "I'm not a freak! Leave me alone!"

The bully had never been pushed like that and he loomed over Sam. He motioned his friends to stand back and he asked, "You gonna make me midget?" He gave Sam a hard enough push to knock him on his rear. He laughed. "Come on midget. Make me."

Sam tried hard not to cry even though the tears threatened. Dean had always looked after him and now he wasn't here. He had to do it by himself. He knew how to throw a punch but actual fighting was beyond him.

_Stand up._

Sam heard something but he wasn't sure what it was. He sat there on the ground looking up at the bully.

_Stand up. It will be all right._

Sam listened to the voice in his head. It was gentle and firm. He slowly stood up with his little fists balled up. He glared up at the bully who was laughing at him. He said, "Take it back."

The bully laughed, "Forget it pipsqueak." He then turned to walk away with his friends.

Sam watched as a pencil that had fallen out of someone's pocket roll to a perfect place right under the bully's foot. He watched as the guy stepped on it and he rocked and fell over backwards. He couldn't help but laugh at the guy.

The bully stood up and glared at Sam. "You think you're pretty smart pipsqueak?" He then made a charge towards Sam.

_Move to the right… Now._

Sam obeyed and the bully ran past him and fell on the ground. He looked at the bully with a surprised look. Dean had been trying to teach him how to avoid tackles and he was too slow. He stood there oblivious to the kids starting to form and shouting for a fight.

The bully stood up and dusted his palms and it was clear that he was angry. He started towards Sam. It was clear that he was going to swing a punch. Sam waited and then ducked as Dean showed him and followed through with a 1-2 punch to the kid's gut. That earned him a push where he landed on his back hard and his head bumped the ground.

Suddenly one of the teachers on duty started to break it up. One hauled Sam up to his feet as he gave his best puppy dog eyes mostly to hide the fact that he was trying not to cry from his head hitting the ground. The teacher took pity on him and let him off with a warning not to fight again. The bully was sent to the principal's office.

* * *

><p>"So you did the 1-2 punch after ducking the douche's swing?"<p>

"Just like you showed me Dean," Sam replied as they walked back to the motel that was home.

"Great job Sammy." Dean gave a pat to Sam's shoulder. He was proud of his little brother. He then began to tell Sam about the story he wrote in class. It was his way of apologizing for not being there. He paused to say, "Great job on the spelling test Sammy."

Sam smiled as he walked with his brother. He didn't tell Dean that someone helped him to focus. Well that he heard them in his head. Dean would think he was crazy. Sam told his brother most things but this he wanted to keep to himself. Dean told him that Mom used to say that angels were watching over them. He wondered if it really was one of those angels and if it was, she sure knew how to fight.

The boys walked past a woman wearing dark sunglasses who was heading in the opposite direction. Sam accidentally bumped her and he said, "I'm sorry."

The woman stopped and looked at the pair of boys. She smiled at Sam and said, "That's all right. No harm done."

Dean stepped to put himself between his brother and the woman. He didn't see her as a threat but it was his job to look after Sammy. He replied, "You better watch where you're going next time."

"I'll do that. You just keep looking after your brother. Everyone needs a protector." The woman smiled and then said, "You look after each other." Then she turned around and walked away.

Dean watched her before saying, "Come on Sammy. You've got homework to do."

Sam had been watching the woman and thought something was familiar about her but couldn't place it. When his brother told him to come on, he replied, "Okay Dean." He followed his brother back to the motel and the routine they established proceeded as normal.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Funny how this woman is always around when the Winchesters are and often in plain sight. You would think it would be hard to forget a pair of tawny eyes or even someone wearing dark sunglasses. *thoughtful smile*

Anyway this sheds some light on implications from Chronicles and other short pieces and I thought a non supernatural chapter during school would help. Stay tuned for the next short...


	5. Chicken Pox and Flu

**Chicken Pox and Flu**

John Winchester was considered a brave man. He was a Marine in Vietnam and he was a hunter and faced things that were only told about in fairy tales. Yet he was completely helpless when it came to illness. Illnesses were seen as an interference to his hunt for the thing that killed his wife Mary but when it came to his boys, he was willing to put that aside to make sure that they were all right.

It had started with Dean feeling the chills and slightly achy. It brought back bad memories for John when he had that bad case of pneumonia. He hovered around his son taking his temperature and keeping him home from school that day leaving Sam to go by himself. John almost had the lamp get thrown at him by his fourteen year old son for hovering and he smiled at that. Dean was like him when it came to people mothering him too much.

Sam came home complaining of an upset stomach and itchy spots. John inspected his son and saw the little red spots on Sam's back. He began to mull over what it was that made his youngest son sick. He then remembered Sam mentioning that one of his classmates had been sick with chicken pox. So now he had a son sick with flu and one with chicken pox; a double whammy and he knew that he was going to be in for the long haul.

John ordered rather than put Sam to bed and went to see if he had anything to ease the discomfort that was going to come from the itchy spots. He couldn't find anything and realized that he was going to have to leave his sons sick and alone while he went to the nearest drug store to get what he needed. He checked his wallet and found that he had cash enough to pay but he was apprehensive about leaving the boys alone.

"Dad, Dean needs some water," Sam said as he came walking into the kitchenette rubbing his arms trying not to scratch. His face was already covered with spots and he was looking miserable but his main concern was his brother. He grabbed a glass and began filling it up.

John followed his youngest back to the room where Dean was half asleep on his bed and watched as Sam handed his big brother the glass. Dean mumbled, "Thanks bitch."

"You're welcome jerk," Sam replied before crawling into his bed and tried to go to sleep.

John couldn't leave his boys but they did need the things that a drugstore would have. He was debating on what to do when Dean said, "I'll watch out for Sammy."

John smiled. He knew that Dean always did his best to look after Sam and would defend him to the death and even though it never looked like it, Sam would do the same. He replied, "Don't worry about it Dean. I'll wait until you feel better."

"We're out of the cough syrup that tastes like it came out of someone's ass and Sammy's gonna need something to help with the itch."

"I'm fine Dean," Sam retorted as he hugged something tight under the covers.

"Yeah right Samantha," Dean replied as he sat up and gave a violent cough. "Dad just go. It'll be alright." He grabbed the shotgun that he kept hidden and placed it within easy reach. He sat up determined to stay awake even though he looked like he was going to collapse.

John knew that Dean was going to be stubborn about it. He couldn't help but be proud at the tough little soldier his eldest was and felt pangs of regret that he had taken away the childhood that Dean should have had. If Dean had any qualms he sure as hell didn't voice them but took his lumps and pressed onward. He said, "Alright. I'll run down to the drug store and get what we need. Just look after your brother."

"Got it Dad," Dean replied feeling like shit but willing to tough it out. He had chicken pox before and he knew what a bitch it was to have them. He was surprised that Sammy caught it this late in life. Most kids caught it when they were learning to read and write. Then again Sam always had to make things hard.

John said nothing more and went to check his pockets and make sure that the room was secure by laying down the salt lines. Meanwhile Dean checked on his brother Sam who was huddled under the sheets and trying to sleep. Dean grinned and asked, "Are you going to be a Sleeping Beauty princess?"

"Bite me," Sam replied and a pillow went flying to hit Dean on the chest.

Dean gave a short laugh before he coughed again. Sam was up in an instant asking if he needed water or anything. Dean waved him off and said, "I'm fine Sammy. Get back to bed."

"Make me."

"Big brother. I win."

"Dude, no way. I'm not the one with shaky legs."

"That's enough," John said as he came in for one last check. "Sam, Dean is in charge while I'm gone. You understand."

"Yes sir," Sam mumbled.

"Dean you know the drill right?"

"Yes sir." Dean patted the shotgun that he had hidden from Sam's view.

John ruffled each of his son's hair before leaving the room and heading to where he parked the Impala. It had started raining again and John realized that he was going to be soaked. He was at the door when something grabbed him from behind and flung him across the parking lot knocking the wind out of him. John rolled across the ground trying to catch his breath when he was picked up again and flung around.

"You killed my family, hunter. For that you will pay. You will watch as I kill your sons."

John looked up to see a vampire staring at him with a malicious grin. He then turned to walk towards the room where the boys were. John's protective instincts were in high gear as he pushed himself to his feet and sprinted towards the vampire. He grabbed him from behind just as lightning flashed and fell forward into a puddle of water. "You will not touch my sons."

The vampire roared in anger and flung John off. John saw stars as he hit the side of the Impala with tremendous force. The vampire advanced towards him with his arm raised. John was too stunned from the impact to do anything but he didn't have to. When the next flash of lightning appeared, the vampire was grabbed from behind by someone in a long dark coat. John watched as the stranger wrestled with the vampire.

The flashes of lightning were like watching someone dance in a strobe light as the combatants moved with lightning fast reflexes. John watched the stranger execute a twist in midair and pulled out a gun and fired. The bullet hit the vampire and it screamed in pain. John was on his feet and reached for the machete that he kept in the Impala and was prepared to fight.

Dean was already feeling drowsy when John left but he forced himself awake. He decided that the best thing to do to stay awake was to drink some coffee. Checking to see that Sam was asleep, he dragged himself out of bed and slowly stood. His legs felt a little rubbery but he was determined to remain standing. He glanced over at Sam who was clutching what looked like a dirty rag. Peering closer, Dean recognized the old toy that he had given Sam. He would have thought that his brother would have gotten rid of it but he didn't.

Dean slowly pulled it out and found that the battered dog had undergone some repairs that were expertly done. He frowned slightly since Sam was as clumsy as he was with a needle. Still the fact that old thing was still around warmed Dean's heart as he put the dog back and went to make some coffee. He decided to make a big pot since Dad would probably need it later if Sammy woke up and started scratching.

Dean had just finished putting everything in the coffeemaker when he heard a shot. Thunder usually covered up such sounds but Dean had developed and acute sense of hearing when it came to hunting things and the like. He picked up the shotgun, flu forgotten and walked towards the door. If something was coming, he was going to be ready. It was his job to protect Sam.

He opened the door to find his dad charging at something with his machete while a stranger in a long coat just bounced off the side of another car and sprang forward. Dean held up his shotgun, ready to take a shot. He almost faltered when Dad was flung to the side but he brought up his shotgun and fired at the guy that flung him. Big mistake.

The guy turned and upon seeing him, started coming towards him. Dean fired again but that didn't slow the guy down. Instead the guy gave him a hard shove in the chest and sent him flying back into the room. Dean grimaced in pain but was glad that he hadn't let go of the shotgun. He sat up to find that the stranger had grabbed the guy in a head lock and wrestled him out of his line of sight. Dean got up and ran to the door just in time to see his dad call out, "Wait!"

Turning, Dean saw the stranger running off into the shadows, dragging the corpse away. The next thing he knew, his dad was walking over to him and asking if he was all right. Dean realized how cold he was and felt his teeth chatter. "Y-Yes sir. Dad, w-who was that?"

John looked around at the direction that the stranger had taken. He had watched that person fight and when the vampire went for his eldest, the stranger was after them like an attack dog. The same went for him. He wondered if it was the same person that had protected his boys from the witch a few years before but it seemed too much like a coincidence. Feeling his eldest starting to shake, he pushed him into the room and shut and locked the door.

Surprisingly Sam slept through the whole thing. John listened to Dean mutter something about Sleeping Beauty and directed him to go take a warm shower. The trip to the drugstore could wait until morning. He got his eldest into bed and went to clean up a bit, surprised to see the coffeemaker full of hot coffee. He sat up in the chair and jumped when his sons needed anything. At one point he saw them sleeping in the same bed, Dean holding a protective stance over his brother.

John was tired in the morning but he was determined to make that drugstore run. He opened the door and nearly tripped over a bag that had been left there. It was full of what he needed for the boys and a tin of coffee grounds. John looked around to find nothing in sight, not even blood from last night's rumble in the rain. Once again Mary's angel paid a visit.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know the sick!Dean! and sick!Sam! are a bit old but hey they can't be healthy all the time and I wanted a piece that showcased John Winchester a little more. Stay tuned for the next short.


	6. Never Trust a Clown

**Never Trust a Clown**

Dean said that clowns were harmless. He said that they were not evil and that they were there to make people laugh. Little four-year-old Sammy always believed his big brother since he was usually right. Dean was never wrong about anything. That was about to change.

It happened one day when Dean took him to the park as a treat for being the best in his class at school. Even though he was four, according to Dean, he was smarter than all those pansy faced brats in his class and was able to show that he could read and write his name. Sam gave credit to Dean teaching him and that was because Dean said specifically 'I would go insane with all of your snivels and coughing.' Dean had taught him when he had a cold one time and Sam knew he didn't mean it.

The park was close to the motel that they were staying in that week or two. Dean was only eight but he knew how to take care of Sam and there was this nice old lady that watched out for all the kids in the neighborhood. Like that ever convinced Dean that anyone was up to par on taking care of his baby brother.

It was a treat since most of the time Dean and Sam stayed in the motel and were left to their own devices. John usually didn't let them wander far and without adult supervision considering that there were worse things out there than playground bullies. However, Dean managed to convince their dad that the old lady watched out for the kids (the truth) and that nothing bad ever happened there (guessing). In the end John said yes especially when Sam brought home his first award.

Sam was ecstatic since he had only been there once and that was when John took them there to play while he waited for some information on the current job. Now he was going to play and his big brother was taking him. It was going to be an awesome day and he gripped his brother's hand to show how excited he was as they crossed the street.

Normally Dean would have shrugged off his little brother stating 'no chick flick moments' but this time he didn't. It was rare that Sam got to play with other kids his age outside of school and in between moving from place to place. They always had fun together but Dean got the feeling that this was what Sam needed. So he felt pretty good letting Sam hold his hand.

"Dean, which one should we do first?"

Dean considered the possibilities until he noticed a few pretty little girls from his class. Now it was time to lay on the Dean Winchester charm. Sam would be all right as long as he stayed in the sand box and played nice. "Uh I think I'll just watch. This is really for you Sammy. You're the one whose got to celebrate."

Sam was pretty smart. He hadn't failed to notice the pretty girls from school. He knew that meant Dean had spotted them and wanted to go chat them up. It was okay even though he really wanted to play with his big brother. Still he had to try, "I wanted to play with you Dean." He then gave the puppy dog look.

Dean recognized that tactic. Sam only pulled that face when he wanted something and he had different degrees of it depending on how bad he really wanted it. This was a mild version. He could hold out with this one. He replied, "Aw Sammy, we play together all the time. Besides those are the girls I've been trying to lay my moves on all week."

"I know but when have we actually played in a park?"

"Sammy it'll be fine," Dean encouraged. He then spotted something and indicated, "Hey isn't that what's her name Ruby Sue or something from your class? The one you can't stop talking about?"

Sam felt the blush rise up on his cheeks. He liked Ruby. She was funny and made things fun when they played at recess and played games in class. He turned and saw her playing with some other girls. "Yeah."

"Here's your chance Sammy. Go play with her." Dean grinned as he gave his little brother a shove. "Come on be cute and show her the puppy dog eyes." He was still grinning as he watched his brother go off to ask the girl in question if she wanted to play. Now was his chance to get in good with Lilah Burke, the coolest girl in the class.

~0~0~

Sam looked around the sandbox trying to find Ruby. They were playing hide and seek and it was his turn to find Ruby. He shut his eyes and following the rules he didn't peek until he counted to ten. This was their fourth game and Dean was still talking to Lilah Burke. They had been playing for over an hour now and it had been fun. Earlier they pretended that the slides were a big giant fort but Ruby grew bored with that and suggested hide and seek.

After about ten minutes or so, he became worried. He usually found Ruby pretty quickly and that was because she always revealed her hiding place by giggling when he came close. He began calling out her name and stating that it wasn't funny that she was hiding. He began to wander away from the area that he was supposed to be in trying to find Ruby.

At one point he wandered too far away and he couldn't see his big brother Dean. Sam realized that he broke a rule that Dean said he must stick to and that was to stay in sight of his big brother. Sam turned to head back but in the wrong direction and ended up wandering further away. He didn't recognize anything and he was starting to get scared.

"Are you lost?"

Sam jumped when he heard the voice but when he turned, he saw a clown. It was one of those clowns that came by and made balloon shapes for the kids. Dean said those guys didn't know how to make an animal even if they went to school for that but he did say that clowns were nice people since they made you laugh.

Sam wasn't sure though. Normally he would be confident when Dean was around. Right now he was scared and wanted his brother. He could only nod at first and then said, "I need to find Ruby and Dean."

The clown smiled which seemed to overemphasize the painted smile. He replied, "I can help you find them," and held out his hand.

Sam hesitated but then took the clown's hand. After all it was a clown. Clowns didn't hurt anybody right?

~0~0~

Dean knew something was up the moment he couldn't hear Sam's shouts. He broke off his chat with Lilah Burke and started looking for his little brother. He couldn't see him anywhere and he almost started to panic. "Sam? Sammy?"

"Dean you were just telling me the funniest story."

"Not now Lilah."

"Why are you even bothering with your brother? He's probably playing with that geeky Ruby."

Dean ignored her as he began a systematic search for Sam. He started with the sandbox and checked all the swings and slides. He then moved to the grassy areas calling his brother's name every so often. "Sammy?"

"Ruby?"

Dean turned to find a girl wandering around, looking for something. He asked, "Looking for someone?"

"My little sister Ruby. She was playing with a boy in her class. Cute as a puppy with shaggy hair," the girl replied.

Dean had to resist the smirk that threatened. Sam always could manage to look cute and adorable around girls. The fact that this one compared him to a puppy was downright hilarious. At the moment though that had to wait since his first priority was Sam and he replied, "That's my little brother Sam. I can't find him either."

The girl shook with worry, "I gotta find my sister. Mom warned me that there was some creepy guy that just got out of jail and he 'likes' little kids."

Dean didn't like the sound of that. He had an idea of what the girl meant by that and he was ready to go protective big brother mode and he didn't have anyone to beat the crap out of. He had to stay calm and come up with a plan. That's what Dad would do. He said, "Hey don't cry. Why don't you wait by the sandbox just in case they come back and I'll look over here? We'll find them."

The girl seemed reassured that Dean was on the case. She gave a watery smile and nodded. She went back to the sandbox to keep looking around there. Dean meanwhile doubled his efforts and continued to search the area he was in. He had to find Sam before he got into serious trouble. He walked around with a determined stance unaware that some bullies decided to back off from pushing him around after seeing him.

"Sam? Sammy? Ruby?"

Dean searched around looking for the little couple. He knew Sam could be sneaky and run away but he always came back after a few calls. The kid did that to tease him and then Dean would beat him up like the awesome big brother is supposed to do with the pain in the ass little brother. He almost cursed when he thought he found Sam but it ended up being a wig that someone threw away. Gross.

~0~0~

Sam started getting the feeling that he was not going towards Dean. He was beginning to have second doubts about this clown. He said, "I don't think this is the right way."

"It is the right way kid. Now shut up and keep moving."

Sam didn't like the tone of voice. He tried to pull away but was yanked roughly along towards a van. He tried to get away from the clown as he opened the door but the clown was too fast and grabbed his arm. Sam felt himself being flung against the van and he nearly cried because his head hurt.

"Leave him alone you bully."

Sam turned to see Ruby had managed to jump out and was trying to hit the clown. He tried to help but the clown hit him across the face and he fell down. The slap was stinging and Sam put a hand to where he had been struck. He saw Ruby get hit too and she started crying. It was too fast when Sam was yanked up by the clown and he saw the meanest face ever.

There was a loud barking and a growl and Sam felt himself drop. He landed hard on the ground and his arm hit the edge of the van jarring it a little. He bit back the tears as he watched a dog bite the mean clown on the arm and gave a violent shake.

The mean clown cried out in pain and hit the dog with his fist once and the dog squealed but didn't let go. He was going to hit the dog again when his arm was grabbed and a voice said, "That's not very nice you pervert."

Sam's head was aching and he closed his eyes. Occasionally he opened them but all he could see was the mean clown and his ugly face. He woke up completely when he heard the most wonderful sound ever. He heard his big brother calling his name.

~0~0~

Dean looked at the red spot on Sam's face and said, "It's all right Sammy. We'll just say that you fell off the swing or something."

"That clown was mean Dean. He hurt Ruby." Sam was trying hard not to cry. He had never been so scared in his life.

"Yeah and the scumbag is going to pay for it. The cops took care of it," Dean tried hard to console his brother.

He had found Sam on the ground unconscious along with Ruby. The scumbag clown was handcuffed to the van in an awkward position and was guarded by a dog. The dog looked like his superhero dog that he had since he was four. He thought it totally cool to see a life size version of Xander.

There was a lady there too. She was tall and she had light brown hair with lighter highlights in it. It was short and it swung like a skirt. She wore sunglasses but Dean could tell that she was a nice lady. He could see it in the way that she helped him with Sam and Ruby. She even called the cops on that guy but before Dean could thank her, she was gone.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sam jumped but Dean said it was okay. Dad was away on a hunt at the moment and he had a way of knock and plus he had a key. Dean told Sam to stay put and went to grab a shotgun. He knew how to use it even though he was a little small for it. He opened the door just a crack and saw the lady from earlier. "What do you want?"

"I just came to check and see if your brother was okay."

"He's fine."

The lady smiled at Dean with an amused smile. She then said, "I thought he could use some cheering up. I brought my dog with me."

Dean looked down and saw the dog from earlier sitting there panting. The minute Dean looked down the dog stood up panting happily. "He's fine," Dean repeated trying not to sound rude since she was nice but there were rules to follow.

"I believe you. If you want I'll go. I know you must have rules."

Dean eyed her suspiciously. He had a gut feeling though that she wasn't like that scumbag who tried to hurt Sam. Dad was gone so it wouldn't hurt. He didn't know though that his father welcomed her to drop by any time. He relented, "Alright. Let me open the door."

Dean undid the chain and opened the door to let the pair in. The dog streaked right in and bounded towards the room where Sam was hiding and started licking and sniffing his wet nose. When Sam started giggling Dean felt a bit better as he invited the lady in who was carrying a big bag of food stuff. He said, "You didn't have to do that?"

"My pleasure."

The rest of the evening was spent with Sam playing with the dog and Dean making sure the place was secure. He happened to come across Sam talking to the lady as she was tucking him in. Normally Dean would do that and the lady stayed out of his way but he asked her to do it. The words his brother spoke nearly broke his heart but it was bolstered by what the lady said in return. Sam said, "Dean said that clowns weren't all that bad and they make you laugh but this one was mean. He tried to hurt me."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I don't like them."

"I don't like them much either but your big brother was there. He'll always be there for you."

"I know. Dean is the bestest," Sam got excited as he hugged the dog that was lying on the bed. "But I still don't like clowns."

The lady laughed a little just as Dean came in. She made room for him and let him sit next to the dog where the dog promptly started licking him and making him say that it was gross. She laughed and left the brothers alone with the dog.

Sam smiled, "I like her Dean."

"Me too Sammy. You feeling better?"

"Yeah. I don't like clowns."

"Yeah well never trust em."

When Dean woke up the next morning, he found the lady and her dog gone. It had Dean wonder if it was a fluke. A glance at Sam and the red spot had faded to almost nothing. He looked around for the lady and found no sign of her except the bag of food stuffs she brought. Mom said that angels watched over him. What if it was Mom's angel? Did angels have dogs?


	7. Basements, Wings and Ratty Things

**Basements, Wings and Little 'Ratty' Things**

Dean sighed in boredom as he looked out the window sniveling and wiping his nose. Damn the fact that he had a really nasty cold and couldn't do much. He couldn't go out and play since it was rainy and cold. The upside was that school was out and he didn't have to waste time with old biddies who thought they knew everything about school safety.

Nope he was staying at Pastor Jim's with Sam to recuperate from the cold Sammy gave him while Dad was out on another hunt. Dean gave a shake of his head at the thought that five year old Sammy, who gave him everything tangible when he was generous, had managed to give him a cold. Maybe in a twisted way it was a sign of Sammy's affection for him though Dean wouldn't have it any other way.

Dean sighed again as he looked out the window. It was boring to watch the rain fall down but he didn't feel much like doing anything else. He failed to notice that Sam had come into the room carrying that toy car Dean had given him for his fifth birthday until Sam asked, "Wanna play Dean?"

Dean looked at his little brother who still had a red nose from the cold he had just gotten over. He was bored and wasn't sure if playing another round of making Sammy's car go would do any good. Still it was Sammy. "Sure Rudolph. You want me to make your car go again?"

Sam made a blowing sound and stuck his tongue out at Dean for the name he called him. Ever since he came down with a cold, Dean made fun of his nose. "Forget it." He turned to walk away.

Dean sighed. "Wait. Sammy."

Sam stopped and looked at his brother, "Stop calling me that."

"Hey Sammy it's a compliment. Out of the two of us you can play the cute factor big time. Haven't you notice all the moms that say you're cute when we go out with Dad?"

Sam scowled at that. Dean always exploited his 'cute' factor in order to get things or score with the girls in his class. It had been fun at first but now it was downright annoying. Still Dean had a point and the single moms seemed to like Dad with his two little boys. "Hard not to though they seem to like your flirting."

"It's an art form Sam," Dean replied before he started coughing and hacking up some phlegm.

"You want me to get Pastor Jim?"

"Nah," Dean replied as he wiped his nose and threw the lot into the wastebasket. "I'm cool. So what did you want to play?"

Sam studied his brother. He thought that playing would cheer Dean up since he was moping about not even going outside for a walk. "You sure you want to?"

"You came in here bugging me now. Come on Sammy what do you want to do?"

Sam still looked at Dean and made that head movement that made him look like a puppy. Dean hid the smirk and his brother wondered why people called him a cute adorable puppy. Finally Sam said, "Maybe explore the basement. We haven't done that yet."

It was a game sort of. Pastor Jim gave them the run of the place just as long as they didn't get into anything that could break or the things that their Dad did for work. Dean knew those places already and was able to steer Sam away from them. They explored quite a bit though they spent two stays exploring the choir and belfry areas. The basement of the actual house seemed like a good idea. Dean replied, "Awesome. Sure thing Sammy."

Sam smiled big as he waited while Dean pulled on his jacket and grabbed the flashlight. It was more fun to leave the lights off and turn it into a big treasure discovery. It was a testament to how glad his brother was to get out of the room by the way Dean grabbed his hand and led the way to the basement.

They paused by Pastor Jim's office where he was talking to someone sitting in a chair. Dean thought it was just another one of those devout ladies that wanted to do something for the church. Still he was supposed to be in his room though so they had to sneak past the open door of the office. It was a daring escape as first Sam and then he went. As soon as they were in the clear, they bolted towards the basement door. They paused outside the door while Dean pulled out his flashlight and grinned when Sam did the same and together they slowly descended into the darkness.

~0~0~

"Sam, check this out."

Sam toddled forward to where his brother was looking into an old trunk filled with clothing and cloth of every kind. Some looked like costumes and some looked really old. In fact when he was close enough, Dean shook out a cloth and whole bunch of little bug things started flying out.

Sam batted at them to get them away. Dean was doing the same thing and when they finally left, Sam muttered, "Jerk."

"Man up Sammy. They were just some moth things," Dean replied. He peered into the contents of the trunk. "Man these are really old. Some look like they belong in a different universe." He pulled out an outdated styled wig and with a sly look he plunked it down on Sam's head. "Now you really look like Samantha."

Sam scowled and found another wig and somehow managed to tackle his brother and jam it on his head. "There… Deanna."

That ended up with the two of them laughing since the wigs were too big and they fell off their heads. They put them back and went looking into other boxes and crates. Sam found something that could be considered a toy even though it was bronze and Dean decided to look more where the door led to the outside of the house. Both didn't notice the cat that was sleeping near the window.

Sam bumped the crate that the cat was on, startling it awake. Along with that came the flutter of wings of a bird. That made the cat feral and it jumped onto Sam's back. Sam reacted trying to bat the thing away and ended up falling into a pile of boxes full of puppets and marionettes. His limbs got tangled in the strings as he came face to face with the thing that he hated the most. The face was smiling at him, but to Sam's little hazel greens, it looked mean and that painted face… "Dean! Help!"

Dean heard the crash and immediately started towards his brother. He tripped over the cat that screamed and jumped through a hole in the window and he fell into a pile of stuff. Dean could see wings flapping of those little nasty bugs but a little squeak had him stop. He felt something big and hairy on his lap. Luckily he had his flashlight but he wasn't sure if he wanted to look.

"Dean, get this thing away from me!"

The cry from his brother spurred him into action. Dean tried to move but his leg was stuck under a pile of boxes. The squeaking got louder. Dean hesitantly pointed his flashlight at the source and found that there were maybe two or three rats running around. He felt one brush his hand and it felt icky. They started roaming his little body and he tried to get them off while trying to get free to help Sam with whatever mess he was in.

Dean could feel the little claws of their feet touching him and he felt like he had been thrown in a dumpster. He didn't like this and for the first time around Sam, he screamed for help. "Help me!"

Sam was crying because every time he moved his limbs became more tangled and another one of those clown things fell on him. When he heard his brother scream, he cried out, "Dean!"

"Help me Sammy!"

Sam struggled but he couldn't. He moved the arm that had the light and he saw something fly at him. It was that stupid bird that scared the stupid cat. It flapped in his face and he flailed his arms to get it away from him. Suddenly one of the clown marionettes shifted and the face flew down into his thoroughly scaring him and he screamed.

Both boys continued to flail. Sam was crying too hard to notice that Pastor Jim was cutting him free and saying that everything was going to be fine. Dean on the other hand was too tired to fight anymore and his sick body passed out. He didn't see the 'church' lady free him while beating off the rats with a bare fist. He did hear a voice though murmuring in soothing tones. He recognized that voice but his body was too tired.

~0~0~

"I'm sorry Dean."

Dean frowned at his little brother who was sitting on his bed. "What do you have to be sorry for Sammy? You didn't know what was down there." Dean played a little with the Band-Aids on his arms. He shuddered as he touched them.

He didn't actually remember them ratty things biting him though there were some cuts from the fall. He did remember the voice telling him that he was okay. Still it was enough to make him think twice about going into places without checking for rat poison or something. He looked at his little brother who was still trembling from his experience with the clowns.

Dean remembered what happened and he knew Sammy did too. They never talked about it afterwards but Dean remembered when Dad came home and read the paper about the douche being arrested for trying to kidnap some kids from the local park. Of course Dean said nothing but made it seem like Sam had a good time at that park. He didn't explain why Sammy had nightmares for a while the next few nights and said it was probably something he saw on TV.

Dean was always watching out for Sam and protecting him. That was the promise he made when he was four years old and held his brother for the first time. Well it wasn't really a promise since what four year old understands that but he did remember thinking that Sammy was his and no one was going to hurt him. He felt he let his brother down by not getting to him and setting him free. He let out, "I'm sorry Sammy."

"For what Dean?"

"I didn't get to you when you needed it."

Sam didn't let Dean finish but instead pounced on his brother who started coughing at the same time. The coughing fit didn't last though and Sam squeezed tightly on his big brother. "You're the bestest big brother ever Dean. You're always there for me."

Dean was usually adverse to moments like these but hey it was private. He affectionately tousled Sam's hair. He replied, "And you're the best annoying little brother ever. And I am sorry. Don't ever think that I won't be there for you. Just as long as there are no rats around."

"And no clowns," Sam added.

Dean couldn't help but laugh as he remembered the lady that saved Sam. Funny thing was it was her voice he heard that told him he was okay. His laughter started Sam laughing and Dean decided it was the perfect moment to start a tickle fight. That had Sam shriek with laughter and Dean wrestled with him trying to get the upper hand until Sam touched his ticklish spots. It became all out war for a good twenty minutes until both collapsed from exhaustion.

Dean was staring up at the ceiling while Sam was cuddled next to him. He thought about the voice he had heard. She said that he would be all right. He remembered where he had heard it before and smiled. He closed his eyes to sleep and muttered, "Thanks Mom.

~0~0~

Pastor Jim watched the boys through the door to their room. They seemed to be no worse for the wear though it wouldn't surprise him if they had a couple of bad dreams every no and then. At least John would be back in a day or two and they would be off again. That was the life of a hunter and Jim felt bad that the boys were dragged into it.

Looking in on the boys, he heard Dean mutter something and fall back into a deep sleep. He closed the door quietly and went to his office where his visitor was waiting. He said, "They're asleep now."

"That's good."

"You want to see them before you go?"

"No thank you Pastor," she replied and his visitor stood up from her chair. She dusted her lap and stood looking at the priest. "They are in good hands. They always have been."

"It was fortunate that you were here. I would have never have heard the commotion. It could have been a lot worse." Pastor Jim looked at the ground. It was a harsh reality to realize that worse things could have happened to the boys that he had grown to care for. "How did you know?"

"You know the answer to that Pastor," the visitor replied. "Just remember to actually send that stuff to Goodwill or something. I think Muffin the cat won't be back anytime soon to take care of the rodent problem."

Pastor Jim couldn't help but smile slightly. Even though it had been dark, he could barely make out what she did when she freed Dean. "I think you took care of that on your own but I will take care of it. Thank you."

"Thank you Pastor." The visitor gave a slight handshake and left his office and headed out the door.

Pastor Jim stared in the direction she had taken. He knew her since she occasionally attended service over the years but never got involved with church functions. Her attendance was sporadic since she said she had a traveling job. Yet she always came back to say hello. Jim didn't know if it was luck, coincidence or even the will of God that had her there at the moment when the boys got into trouble. She had heard them crying and she bolted out of her seat and told him to follow. They made it to the basement door to find that it was stuck.

She barged in by pounding on it with one foot and clambered down the dark stairs. Jim searched for the switch only to find that the bulb had been burnt out. He followed her though and he found Sam crying and trying to push a bunch of marionettes away from him and he was hopelessly tangled. He could also hear Dean sobbing and the panicked squeals of rats as dull thuds came off the walls. He cut Sam free and carried him out and was followed by her carrying Dean who held onto her like he would have his mother if she were still alive.

He watched as she tended to the bites and cuts on Dean as tenderly as a mother would with her children. She smoothed out Sam's bangs and said comforting words to both of them. As he watched her, Jim could swear that he saw a halo around her head of light brown hair. It was up for debate but Jim knew at that moment that Sam and Dean Winchester had a guardian angel and he had known her for years. God truly did work in mysterious ways.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know really traumatic for Sammy since it has been a year since... and now Dean's little phobia. At least someone has been paying attention though...


	8. All That Glitters is Pie

**All That Glitters is Pie**

John was bone tired and he had been close to getting a location on the thing that killed Mary. He would have gone straight after the thing but he didn't and couldn't. There was only one force on this, God's green earth, that would prevent him from going on hunt and he had no qualms about it. The soft beep of the monitor made clear that reality and he sighed a tired sigh.

Dean was fast asleep and looking a bit uncomfortable with it, not that John could blame him. The boy was sick and he was about to undergo a surgery to remove his tonsils. John knew that he had a long road ahead of him regarding Dean's recovery as well as how fast they could get out of the hospital before folks figured out that he had no insurance or any means of paying for the surgery.

Dean was twelve and old enough to join in on hunts but more often didn't since Sam was still too young and both were still at an age where to keep either one out of school was a sin. That went double for Sam's case since the boy had shown he had an aptitude for academics. It certainly would come in handy for hunts but John didn't want to think about that. As much as he trained his boys so they would be safe, especially Sam, he regretted pulling them into that. They were kids and needed to be kids but he made them, especially his eldest grow up fast.

John taught them how to defend themselves but as he was fond of saying, he was helpless when it came to the normal child ailments that hit his children. Colds, flu, chicken pox… they were all like a nightmare to him and often had him thinking of how close he came to losing both his sons due to illness. Dean was near bad and possibly going to die from pneumonia when he was four and then Sam was diagnosed to die at four months from whooping cough.

Illness he felt helpless at and it was no exception when Dean came home and mentioned that his throat hurt. At least John knew the basic checklist to determine what was wrong with Dean. Sam was thankfully oblivious to the whole thing while he went through his checklist. He thought it was a sore throat and made the decision to keep Dean home from school the next day. He explained it to Sam and the boy immediately went to check up on his brother.

John couldn't deny it but his sons were very close. He remembered when Mary first handed Sam to Dean when he was born and how the two looked at each other. He played on that to teach Dean everything about hunting, telling his son that it was to help look after Sam. Dean accepted that and if he had any protests, he didn't say. That was one thing that John regretted; the way how Dean bore his burdens silently. It wasn't fair no and as much as he wanted to comfort his son when things didn't go right, he had to be firm and tell him to get it right the next time.

John looked at the monitors as they did their soft bleep to indicate good vitals for Dean. The was a little high since Dean had a fever to accompany his sore tonsils. That was the sticking point with the surgery. To have a fever was a risk since… John didn't want to think about it. Hell he met death all the time with his line of work but it was a totally different thing when it was something that meant the world to you.

There was a slight moan and John turned his attention to the bed. It was actually Sam and he adjusted his position next to his big brother. John smiled at the sight. It had been tough on Sammy since his youngest looked up to his brother and to see Dean be taken down by illness was a low blow. It had been Sam who sensed that something was wrong with Dean and that made the difference. Sam's alertness reduced the possibility of complications and John couldn't help but be proud.

While they were waiting for the diagnosis, Sam curled on his lap and asked, "Is Dean going to be okay Dad?"

John had replied, "Dean's going to be fine. It was your quick thinking that helped. You saved your brother Sam. That's what brothers are supposed to do."

Maybe it was a little over the top but it mollified his youngest. That still didn't stop him from crawling into Dean's bed and giving him a hug. Peering closer John could see something that was tucked between the boys. Sam must have brought it and he didn't notice. John stood up to take a look and saw that it was a very battered stuffed German Shepard. John hadn't seen that since Dean showed it to him when Sam was six. He couldn't help but smile.

The dog was rather battered and chewed up. One of the ears was coming off but it was still well loved. John remembered when he first saw the thing. Dean had made a complete turnaround from pneumonia. In fact ever since that dog showed up, Mary's angel showed up and at points when he needed it the most. Pastor Jim told him about her visit when the boys got into trouble in the basement and it surprised him that Jim knew her. It had him wonder if she would show.

John sat back in his seat and tried to stay awake. He tried but could feel his eyes start to droop. Suddenly there was the most welcome smell in the world; the smell of fresh coffee. Accompanying the coffee was a sweet and pleasant voice saying, "Would you like some coffee?"

John managed to open his eyes and there was the prettiest face he had ever seen looking down at him. Her features were contorted into a smile mingled with concern. She had shoulder length dark hair and her eyes were an unusual color, tawny was the expression. She was wearing an outfit that could be considered a nurse's uniform. Yet John recognized her but when he first met her, the hair was lighter and the eyes were a different color. "Carol?"

His visitor gave a slight chuckle and replied, "Different story, a different lifetime John." She sat in the chair next to him and handed a cup of coffee to him. "My real name is Angela."

John took a cup of coffee. He was a little wary since she hadn't aged since the first time he caught a glimpse of her. "Should I be concerned about you?"

"I would be surprised if you didn't. I would expect any hunter to go through the usual tests with me," she replied. She took a drink of her cup of coffee. She said, "Has holy water in it." She pulled out a silver knife and made a small cut and even took a pinch of salt.

John watched as she put herself through the usual tests with a cool air as if she had done them before. "I guess you aren't something to be worried about. So why are you here?"

Angela gave a slight shrug, "Figured it was time for you to know who it was that went after the vamp and the witch those two times. 'Carol' was just a friendly neighbor. I figured you would want to meet the hunter."

"And you chose now?"

"Well, I came because I heard about Dean. I snuck in and looked at his chart and I know he's scheduled for surgery but they are reluctant. They are worried about the fever."

John glanced at the nurse's uniform she was wearing. It was no wonder he couldn't spot her before. She was good at making herself invisible. "Why are you here?"

Angela shrugged her shoulders. "I figured that maybe I could help."

"With what?"

"I don't know. Just be here. Maybe when this is over, give you some help on your demon problem."

That put John on alert. He put his cup of coffee down and looked at her. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What do you know about that?" Even though guns weren't permitted, John had a couple of things that would go for him. He had a letter opener that he snaked from the nurse's station earlier. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Just to help."

"In my experience there is no such thing as wanting just to help. What you want to help with my boy and what you think I and looking for? What's in it for you?"

"Nothing… except justice."

"Right." John took the moment to fish the letter opener out. He knew that it wouldn't do much good but it was threatening enough. "You get in good to get close to my boys by pretending to be somebody you're not. I really have a hard time believing that. I suggest you leave."

Angela studied John for a moment and took in his protective nature. She stood up and gave a slight nod. "I am sorry. I won't bother you again." She then left leaving John wondering if he had made a mistake in his assumptions.

~0~0~

Dean felt hot and irritable and his throat was scratchy. He couldn't talk much and he was pissed that he couldn't say how he felt. He told Dad that it was a sore throat but after he went to bed, he knew something wasn't right and he couldn't say anything. Lucky for him Sammy was able to sense something was wrong and he was able to tell Sammy via their code system.

Dad got him to the hospital and they said that it was tonsillitis and he needed surgery. Great and double great that he had a low grade fever. Shit he could have told them that if he could say something. They gave him some antibiotics and said that they would have him up in surgery in the morning. He tried to sleep and was comforted that Sammy was there and he didn't mind when the kid crawled into bed with him.

It surprised him when Sammy pulled out Xander and handed it to him. He smiled and wrote on the notebook Sammy brought that he was glad he brought Xander. You never knew when you needed a superhero dog. They spent the evening talking with their notes about they were going to do after he busted out of the joint.

Now it was early morning and the stupid nurses shooed Dad and Sammy out to get him ready. They were still bitching about his fever and figured they were going to make everyone cool their heels another few fucking hours. At least they let Sammy leave Xander. He was too old to be hanging onto a stuffed animal but he made it seem like his baby brother wanted him to have it. He grumbled as he held it and felt his eyes start to droop.

When he opened his eyes, he saw another one of those nurses but she was different. She looked at him and smiled and said, "I know. It's a bitch not being able to talk."

Dean made a gesture that said, "Damn straight." He liked this nurse. She wasn't one of those prude bitches who said he had a potty mouth or some stupid shit.

"I see that you have a fever. On a scale of one to ten, tell me."

Dean held up five fingers. It wasn't that bad but it was uncomfortable. He then pointed at his throat and held up seven fingers.

"I see. Well I'm going to take care of your fever right now." She noticed Xander and asked, "He's your little protector?"

Dean nodded as he lay back down. He point at the dog and then gave a thumbs up. He liked this nurse. She seemed to understand what he meant and didn't ask stupid questions.

The nurse smiled and said, "I see. I see you have a little brother. You do the same like your little protector huh?"

Dean nodded. He figured that the nurse read his chart since his family information was on it. Yeah he looked after Sammy which was why he wanted to get this over with and back to his regular job. He looked at the nurse and held his hands up to ask what the deal was.

The nurse looked at him with a smile and said, "I'm going to fix your fever but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Dean looked at her suspiciously. Something in his gut though told him that she was cool and that she didn't mean him any harm. He nodded. He looked at her wide eyed as he watched her hand begin to glow and she gently touched his forehead. It had felt hot before but as soon as she touched his forehead, it felt cool like water but it wasn't ice cold. It was... hard to describe. When she was done, he looked up at her. He didn't feel so hot anymore. As she started to remove her hand, Dean grabbed it and held it, squeezing it.

She understood and said, "I can't do anything about your tonsils. You have to have the surgery but I can help after the surgery. I'll bring you a surprise when you come back and it will make you feel better. Okay?"

Dean was a little disappointed but he believed the nurse. He squeezed her hand and nodded to say that he understood. He was surprised when she took his chart and wrote on it. He wondered what it was about and looked at her.

"Just making sure that they take you up. You don't have a fever so they can get you in and out."

Dean nodded. He then glanced at Xander and saw the torn ear. He held it up to her and pointed at the ear. He was asking if she could fix it.

"I'll keep an eye on him," the nurse replied as she took the dog. "He'll be here when you get back and looking good as new."

~0~0~

The surgery went well. The doctors were surprised that the fever broke completely. In fact Dean was ready to go and responded well to the anesthetic. They wheeled him up and in fact the doctors took no notice of the nurse accompanying him. She blended in as she stayed by and monitored Dean's vitals leaving the surgery nurse to focus on giving what the surgeon needed.

The nurse stayed with Dean throughout the surgery and all the way back to his room. She volunteered to let the boy's father know when he was out of surgery and the usual hoopla. Actually another nurse told him but also stated that he needed to fill out some more forms.

Dean woke up from the anesthesia with few side effects. He smiled when he saw the nurse from before and beamed even more when she handed back Xander with his ear expertly mended. His throat was scratchy and he pointed at it and made a scratching movement with his hand.

"Try this," and the nurse handed him a small cup.

Dean took a sip of the concoction and found it to be nice and cool and soothing. It wasn't water but it was thick, creamy and cool. He looked at the nurse with a puzzled look.

"Egg nog. It's better than ice cream." The nurse then produced a tray with a plate that had a slice of pie and covered with whipped cream. "And this is your surprise."

Dean looked at the slice of pie and then at the nurse with a strange look. Most of the crap the doctors told him was that he would have a diet focused on cold things like ice cream and stuff like that. Then again this nurse wasn't the typical nurse.

"Taste it," she prompted.

Dean took a small piece on the fork. It was covered with whipped cream. He could taste the apple filling as it blended with the crust and whipped cream. The cream was cold, like it had been frozen. It just melted in his mouth and slid down. He took a sip of the egg nog and it felt like his senses exploded. It was good stuff. He gestured wildly with his fork and took another bite.

"I thought you might like it. I know someone who makes better pies than a bakery. The crust is so soft that it melts huh?"

Dean nodded. This was the best thing he had ever. In fact he had never had anything like this before. He had seen Dad eat pie while he and Sam had ice cream. Now he knew why Dad liked the stuff so much. Well he liked it too. The next time they went to a diner, he was getting pie.

The nurse smiled and said, "Pie is the panacea of all ills. It makes you feel better no matter what. Now I'm going to let the other nurse know that you are ready and you can see your Dad and your brother." She motioned to the rest of the pie that was on his tray. "You can share if you like but I get the feeling that you're going to be the one that appreciates pie."

Dean smiled at the nurse as he speared another piece of pie. There was also a pitcher of more of that egg nog stuff. He managed to mumble out hoarsely, "Thank you."

The nurse smiled and replied, "See you're on the mend already. Now don't talk as much and you'll be back to doing what big brothers do best." She gave a slight ruffle of Dean's hair and left.

Dean watched her leave and absently ran his hand on Xander. Sammy was going to be pleased. He took another bite of that delicious thing called pie. That nurse had brought it certainly knew him well in terms of his peevishness. He liked her and hoped that she would be back.

~0~0~

John walked into Dean's room to find him animated and chowing down on pie of all things. He frowned in surprise that he was eating solid foods. He had heard from the nurse that they were able to take Dean in earlier since his fever broke and he did very well. The forms had been a bit of a hold up but in the end they were forms that would take care of payment.

John smiled when he saw Sam run towards Dean's bed and ask if he was okay. They started talking in their nonverbal way and he observed at how active Dean was considering how miserable he had been before the surgery. He listened as the nurse gave the specifics and how good Dean was and how diligent his nurse was. John listened politely as he watched Dean dig into another slice of pie and tried to get Sam to try it along with his drink.

"Huh, I never thought about trying egg nog. Maybe that would work with some of the other children," the nurse said as she peeked into the pitcher when Dean indicated that he wanted some more.

John frowned. That was even stranger than the pie. It was then he noticed the stuffed dog. He saw the ear that had been falling off the night before had been repaired. He asked Dean, "Hey champ, did you fix his ear?"

Dean shook his head no. He then whispered, "Nurse with dark hair did it."

John thought about it as he smiled. He looked at the elderly nurse who was checking the vitals and asked, "Is that nurse still on duty?"

"Melinda still is on duty but she's nonsurgical."

John said nothing else except to thank the nurse and went over the post op care for Dean. He watched as his sons shared what was left of the pie. He sat watching and reading the instructions, thinking that some time maybe with Bobby would be a good move to make. He was interrupted when Nurse Melinda walked in asking if there was something wrong.

John looked at the nurse and gauged the reaction of Dean. His son gave a slight shake and he dismissed the nurse stating that he had made a mistake. Once the nurse was gone, it occurred to him that the stranger who had come around times before, once again came through. He couldn't believe it. He practically told her to leave and yet she stayed. She stayed with his eldest until he was through the surgery. He couldn't believe it until he looked over at his eldest trying to get his attention.

John went over and asked, "What is it son?"

Dean held up a slip of paper and then went back to talking to Sam in their brother language. John took the slip of paper and opened it. On it was a number and the words, 'Call if you need a hand. No strings.' John knew that the 'nurse' that visited him the night before was Mary's angel and he had turned her away but she came back.

"Sammy that's my pie!" Dean's hoarse voice sounded.

"You said you would share."

"Big brother. I win."

John couldn't help but laugh as he went over to stop the fight to rest Dean's throat. Mary was right in that angels watched over his boys. Mary's angel came through again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Another John moment and he finally 'meets' Angie.


	9. Sammy's First Hunt

**Sammy's First Hunt**

Sam looked out the window and watched the sun go down. Tonight was a special night. Dean said it was time for him to lose his hunting virginity. He had rolled his eyes at that since Dean had always been the one to go after the girls and work his moves. He had to admit that he was nervous about going with just Dean. All the other times they hunted Dad was around and usually they kept him out of it by giving him the research portion to do.

That didn't bother Sam since he liked to learn but the hunting game was starting to get old and pretty fast. There were things that he wanted to do but he couldn't because of the job. He had to go into the family business as the phrase went. Still this was an opportunity to spend time with his big brother even if it was a hunt.

Sam always looked up to Dean. The main reason was because Dean took care of everything. If there was a problem, it was Dean that fixed it. Dad was someone to go to too and Uncle Bobby but it was Dean who knew him inside and out. It was Dean who made sure that nothing bad ever happened to him.

"Hey ya ready Sammy?"

Sam looked away from the window and scowled at Dean, "Don't call me that?"

"I will once you grow, Shorty," Dean replied with a grin on his face. He was glad that Sam was finally going to do what he and Dad did. He was just going to have to be careful about it since technically Sam wasn't supposed to go on these kinds of things. Dad said something about having proper supervision.

It wasn't that Dean wanted to disobey Dad but for some reason Dad kept putting off including Sam in the actual hunt. To an extent Dean could understand why. Hell he wanted his little brother to have as near a normal life as possible and he was hoping that Dad wouldn't harangue the kid for wanting to do normal stuff like go to college. It was a bit early to be thinking about that but Dean secretly wished it upon Sam.

Sam was a research genius. The kid was smart and picked up on things a lot quicker than most people. Hell Dean himself taught the kid to read and write before he was in kindergarten. He taught Sam how to throw a punch and fight and well a lot of things that were important for a big brother to teach. Of course he still was the Ace when it came to kicking his little brother's ass. That was a given since he was the awesome, cool big brother.

Dean knew that Dad was probably going to be pissed if he found out about this unsanctioned hunt but the opportunity was too good to pass up. Dad was out on a different job and Dean found this one by accident. It was a relatively easy one; a salt and burn. It was just the thing to break in Sammy's boots. He told Sam about it and said that they should take care of it.

Of course Sam had to be the pansy and annoying by asking questions. He even asked the 'what about dad' question. Dean couldn't believe that Sam even asked that and took a concern about what Dad wanted. Sam may be twelve but already he picked fights with Dad over hunting but mostly the constant moving because the latest school was doing something that he really wanted to do. Still it was a surprise that he agreed to the hunt eventually.

Dean looked at his brother who was scowling at him over his height and said, "Come on Sammy. We gotta get going if we're gonna sneak into the cemetery and get it over with."

Sam stopped scowling knowing that Dean was never going to stop calling him that nickname. At least he could make sure others didn't use it. He stood up and grabbed the duffle that Dean had him pack. Dean told him it was part of losing his hunting virginity and that was to pack the equipment they would need right. Sam did the work while Dean watched munching on a slice of pie. "Fine Dean. Let's go."

"Thought you'd be more excited about this."

"I am. Just that, well…"

Dean knew exactly where this was heading so he cut him off, "Sam, I know what Dad said but hell it's our job. Dad missed it and since we are the only ones here, we have to make it right. Besides you weren't so squeamish about arguing with the man about staying here for another week to finish the semester."

Sam sighed. Dean had a point on that. He was excited but he was also nervous. Yeah he knew how to shoot since Dad made sure that they both knew what the heck they were doing. This was a first of actually going after the thing and while he wasn't thrilled about joining the family business, he could understand and he was scared. A million things could go wrong but he wasn't going to voice them to Dean. At least not now since he was excited that it was Dean and not Dad. He replied, "Okay Dean. Where are we going and who's the guy we're ganking?"

"That's my Sammy," Dean replied with a grin as he led the way out of the motel. Dad had the Impala so they had to high tail it out there. It wasn't too far anyway to the cemetery and he and Sam could run distances greater than that.

~0~0~

"I can see why you said this would be fun," Sam deadpanned as he tossed another shovelful of dirt out of the grave.

"Man up Sammy. It's only one little grave. God you can be such a girl," Dean replied as he kept a lookout for any sign of the spirit. He jumped to avoid the wad of dirt that came hurtling his way and he scowled at his younger brother. "What the hell?"

"Jerk," Sam retorted as he thrust his shovel into the ground and came out with a thunk. He had struck gold.

"Bitch," Dean replied as he hear the sound of shovel hitting wood. Sam hit the bottom. Now it was time to pop the thing open and put the spirit to rest. He peered in and saw Sam looking at the lid. "Come on Sammy. Open it."

Sam looked at the lid. Well here it was; his first foray into grave desecration. He used the shovel to peel the lid off and looked at the body. At least it wasn't like the last time Dean left him at Plucky's. God he hated that place and Dean knew it too. He tossed the shovel out and tried to climb out but slipped on the loose dirt and fell back in.

"Graceful Sammy," Dean teased.

"Bite me." Sam tried again but the dirt was too loose and was steeling himself about asking Dean for a hand up. Suddenly he felt the cold and his body froze slightly. Number one thing about spirits was that they always caused cold spots. His breath came out in a thin line of smoke. "Dean."

Dean heard the warning tone in Sam's voice and he felt it too. "Come on Sam. Get out and burn the remains." He held his shotgun ready and was looking around. Suddenly he was lifted off his feet and flung into a nearby headstone. It winded him and he was seeing stars. So much for not getting a scratch.

Sam couldn't see what was happening but he knew Dean meant business and tried again. This time he jumped and managed to get a grip on the edge. He managed to pull himself out and he was sprawled on his stomach when he looked up and saw his big brother lying on the ground somewhere between awake and passed out.

It was first instinct for Sam to run to help his brother but the cold remaining in the air told him that he had a job to do. He scrambled for the bag for the tin of salt and the can of lighter fluid. He started pouring the salt until it was almost empty. The lighter fluid he was more careful with since that shit was expensive. He was just about to light the match when he felt himself being lifted.

He landed on the grass and one of those ground headstones. He felt the rock dig into his back and figured that he was going to have to hide in the locker room when he changed for PE at school. They didn't need CPS called on them. He looked up and he saw the spirit materialize. It was his first one and he froze in fear but he started to back up and fish around for anything to dispel the spirit.

Sam was aware that he was looking like a bumbling idiot but that was secondary. His training was kicking in and he was looking for salt or iron. From where he was, his own shotgun was on the ground near the duffle and the rest of the salt was there. Damn!

There wasn't much time to do anything since he felt himself being lifted up by the spirit. Looking at it, Sam could make out the wounds that killed the person. The grey pallor was like something out of one of Dean's horror movies and gross but that wasn't the important part. Right now he was stuck in its grasp and he couldn't do anything about it.

Suddenly there was an intense pain in his chest. Looking down, Sam could make out the arm of the ghost being thrust through his chest. It was like something was squeezing his lungs or heart or something. It hurt like a bitch and that was all Sam could think about. Great he was going to get ganked by a spirit and on his first hunt. Dad was sure going to be happy about that. He thought he heard Dean shout his name but all he could feel was the pain.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared, the pain was gone and Sam felt himself drop to the ground. He put a hand to his chest and breathed heavily while looking around to see what happened. He didn't hear the shotgun go off. When he looked he saw a pair of legs encased in black pants and a black duster coat. Glancing up to get a better look, he saw that it was someone and it wasn't Dad and they were holding what looked like a tire iron up like a bat.

The spirit appeared again and the stranger was quick to dispel it. That caused Sam to get back in the game. He scrambled over to where the matches were and struck the match and put it in the matchbook like Dean had shown him. Once the book caught on fire, he dropped it into the grave. The bones caught fire quickly.

Sam turned around just in time to the spirit flame out in front of the stranger. He was going to say something but the stranger took a quick look at him and then ran off. Sam would have given chase but a sound from Dean turned him in the direct of his brother who was rubbing his head. "Dean, you okay?'

"I'm fine Samantha. Stop being a bitch," Dean replied shaking his brother off.

"Whatever, jerk. Dean I did it. I ganked the spirit."

"I saw."

"Dude, no way. That spirit had you nearly knocked out cold," Sam picked the time to argue.

Dean knew what he saw. True he was somewhere between conscious and unconscious at the time but he saw what had happened. The damned fugly tried to ice Sam but that blur came and the spirit disappeared. He tried to get to his feet to help but he was still a bit winded from the fall. So he watched as the blur kept the spirit busy long enough for Sam to flame him out like he showed him. He replied, "I did Sam. I saw the blur save your ass."

"Saved yours too. I'm not sure how you would have been able to explain to Dad about me looking like the fugly," Sam replied as he helped his brother up.

"Like that would happen. It must've been another hunter."

"But Dean, you said that there were no other hunters around. Even Dad said that," Sam pointed out.

Dean didn't need that explained to him. It could be a coincidence. Whoever it was, he owed them a thanks for saving his little brother. He was also proud of the fact that his brother ganked his first spirit. "I know Sammy but hey, you did good. You ganked your first spirit. Now you're not a virgin anymore."

"Whatever."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Aww Sammy's first hunt!


	10. Drag the Vamp

**Drag the Vamp**

Bobby Singer was the go to man whenever a hunter needed to know something about whatever. He was also the guy who could be a director of the FBI, US Marshals, you name it and he could do it while cooking up his usual fare of lunch. He was also the guy that firmly believed that time could be taken out of training to teach a boy how to play baseball; a firm belief that all work and no play made a person dull and more likely into an ass.

It was a beautiful summer day and he decided he was going to spend it with his two favorite boys, Sam and Dean Winchester. The boys had been left with him even though they were somewhat old enough to go with John on the hunt but given that what he was hunting was something the boys shouldn't have to see just yet, it was better that they stayed with him. The truth was that Bobby didn't mind at all since he was rather fond of Sam and Dean.

Bobby looked out at his property while dishing himself a cup of coffee, deciding what to do as a fun day for the boys. Granted that John expected them to learn something from their time with him, Bobby figured that he could squeeze in both fun and work.

"Uncle Bobby, are we going hunting today?"

Bobby turned to see sixteen year old Dean standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Twelve year old Sam was nowhere to be seen; probably hitting the books again. That boy was like a walking encyclopedia. He replied, "Not today Dean."

"Dad wanted us to get in some practice. Easy ones since Sammy is still green though I think he kicked ass on his first one."

Bobby heard all about Sam's first hunt and how he ganked the spirit. What he couldn't figure out was who the hunter was that kept the spirit busy while Sam did the work of salting and burning the thing. He knew quite a few really good hunters but the description that Dean gave, which was supplemented by Sam, was not a description he was familiar with. He figured that the boys were lucky that night.

They didn't get away with it completely when John came back. Rather he was upset that they almost got themselves killed but he seemed to be proud of them too. According to Bobby it was one of the rare times that he actually heard something that sounded like praise coming from the man.

"Well, there may be a few things but I thought today we'd take a day off," Bobby replied.

Bobby saw the look of puzzlement flash across Dean's face. It was Sam though who asked as he came into the kitchen pulling on one of his hoodies, "What are we going to do today Uncle Bobby?"

That was a good question. Bobby wracked his brains for something that didn't hit too close to home in terms of hunting and research. He knew Sam was the whiz at it but that kid was happier with a laptop than with a gun or knife in his hand. As far as he knew, there was one thing that he could think of that would take their minds off of hunting and training and the like. He looked at the boys and said, "Well…"

~0~0~

"This is great Uncle Bobby!"

Bobby watched as Dean caught the ball he had thrown. It was a spur of the moment idea but heck playing baseball seemed to be a good way to bring some fun into the boys' lives. Even Sam was having a good time and that kid preferred soccer. They stayed the entire day and the sky was starting to darken as night was coming. He watched as Dean said, "Hey Sammy, see if you can hit this one."

"I can hit anything you throw at me!"

Bobby chuckled as Dean threw the ball. Sam took aim and swung his bat. The ball hit with a good sounding pop and it sailed high into the air. Bobby was getting old but he could still run a fair piece and he was going to prove it. He had his eyes on the ball.

Sam grinned as he watched Bobby try to catch his ball. It was disappointing when he did but that meant that it was his turn to play the outfield. He handed the bat over to Bobby and raced to be out there with Dean as his brother went to take left field.

Sam took right field and waited. Bobby popped one first to Dean who caught it easily and threw it back. The next one was his. He watched as Bobby popped it out towards him. It was going to go deep so Sam took off running. He kept his eye on the ball and followed it but he didn't anticipate the result.

The ball was caught by a man. He looked a little pale like he didn't have enough sunshine. He was grinning at him though as he was holding the ball Bobby had hit and was tossing it up and down. He looked at Sam and asked, "Lose something?"

Sam could sense that something was not right with this guy. He wasn't sure though so he had to be polite. "That's my ball. We… we're playing baseball."

"Ah the great American sport," the stranger replied still holding onto the ball. "The perfect game for young boys. It makes it flow nice and fast."

Sam was officially freaked out now. He didn't have anything but a small pocket knife he kept in his pocket and his glove. He took a few tentative steps backwards.

The stranger said, "What are you running from? Don't you want your ball back?" He held it out to Sam.

Sam was no fool though. He didn't move even when the stranger prompted him to take it. That seemed to make the stranger angry and Sam saw something that verified that the stranger was not human in the least. The eyes became red rimmed and the pupils were huge. Sam took off running. Better to have Bobby there.

The stranger took off after Sam. It was early in the day for such activity but the little boy smelled good. His blood smelled good. He was hungry and he wanted it.

Dean saw Sam running and he was followed by someone chasing him. He knew it wasn't in jest since Sam's face was distorted into fear. His first instinct was protect Sam. That was his job. He started running to meet Sam and his hand strayed toward his pocket for his knife. "Sammy!"

Bobby saw it and had the bat and was ready to start swinging. He and Dean were on an intercept course to catch the guy. Bobby knew it was a vampire. He noticed the features that distinguished them and he cursed that he didn't have anything to chop the head off but he could give it a hard enough hit to keep him dazed. He gripped the bat hard and raced forward.

All of a sudden, something leapt over the fence that separated the field from the parking lot and bounded towards the guy chasing Sam. It took Bobby a split second to realize that it was a rather large dog that leapt forward and actually leapt over Sam and collided with the vampire. Bobby watched as the dog tackled the vampire and with a bone crushing grip, grabbed the wrist holding the ball and dragged the vampire back towards someone near the edge.

Bobby couldn't make head or tails out of who it was since they were wearing a hoodie like Sam was but he could distinctly hear, "You're out."

Before Bobby could say anything the three of them were gone into the tree infested park. They must've bobbed in and out through the trees since Bobby couldn't see anything. Sam and Dean joined him and he asked, "You alright boys?"

"Yeah," they answered in unison.

"Who was that Uncle Bobby?" Sam asked the question.

Bobby had no idea. He did have a clue that it was a hunter because they knew how to handle themselves. The thing was he had never seen a dog do anything like that.

"Forget that Sammy, that dog was awesome. Did you see the way it dragged the guy?" Dean was ecstatic over the action now that Sam was safe.

As if on cue, the dog came back and it had a gift for them. It approached Bobby and looked at him. Bobby looked at the boys and then at the dog warily and held out his hand. The dog put the missing ball into his hand along with a little bit of drool. It barked and then turned around and ran back. Bobby held the ball and looked in the direction it went before ushering the boys back to the truck.

On the way back to the house, the boys talked about the dog and the catches and this they made. To Bobby they didn't seem any worse for the wear so he was fine with that. They seemed to chatter animatedly about the dog. He knew they wanted a dog and they could always play with Rumsfeld but with the way John raised them, a dog was a hindrance.

"Hey Sammy, did that dog look familiar to you?"

"Maybe Dean."

"No biggie. At least we had fun right?"

Bobby didn't say anything. His mind was on the hunter that just showed up out of nowhere and saved their bacon. John had told him something similar happened. He wondered if it was the same one. If so then someone must be watching out for the Winchesters and it looked like it was a full time job for whoever it was.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry had to re post once I realized what someone was taking about.


	11. Summer Camp Sucks

**Summer Camp Sucks**

Dean hated this place and not because the food sucked (it was pretty good by the way) and not because there were no girls (the chicks were hot). It was because well… he was bored. He was bored out of his mind because the other ass wipes in his age group just didn't have the same skill set he had. He wondered if his dad was on something when he brought him and Sam here for the summer. So far this place sucked in terms of what they were doing.

It was a summer camp for, believe it or not, hunters and hunter wannabes. Dean thought it hilarious when John mentioned that he was sending them to the place for the summer. He had never heard of anything like it and it sounded like a big joke. It wasn't and now he was stuck here for the better part of two months?

John said that he had heard of the place from another hunter and that it was a training ground as well as a place to have fun. Yeah they taught hunting but they allowed the kids to have fun and the place was secured by hunters. To Dean it sounded a whole lot like school except the old biddies knew how to use a shotgun salt rounds or no.

What Dean didn't know was that John had heard rumors of the demon that killed Mary and that he was making a rampage of some sort. This was a means of protecting both his children and it would leave Dean free to look after Sam. So Dean protested while Sam, for some odd reason, kept quiet about the whole thing. As it turned out, Sam was more curious than reluctant and was willing since the enticement was the fact that the program was not all about hunting.

So now Dean was stuck there and he quickly learned that the other kids in his age group hadn't even bagged their first werewolf yet. He had done a couple already and he was well into being seventeen. They had done salt and burns but those were easy. It made him wonder if this place was like a training wheel set or something. He did get a good kick out of the sparring. He had a reputation for his brawling tactics. That was about it for this place.

Dean looked around since it was his free period so he decided to see what Sam was doing. Being a devout follower of the high standards he gave himself, he memorized Sam's schedule so if anything happened, he would be there at a moment's notice and he didn't care if it was in the middle of his own activity. He checked his watch and the time told him where Sam was supposed to be so he double timed his jog to the place.

Sam wasn't on the field playing whatever soccer game that was the invention for the week. Dean narrowed his eyes as he checked and double checked the field. Sam's group was no longer on the field since there were a bunch of little squirts running around. Something didn't seem right and his big brother senses were hitting overdrive.

It was no secret that there were kids and asses there that didn't like him or Sam. Dean figured it was because they came from a long line of hunters like it was some fancy pedigree or something. They looked at him and Sam as if they were wannabes and should be hauled off to the nearest shelter and dumped. Then there were those that singled them out because they were different. The one block of free time that he and Sam both had, they spent it together. People thought they were weird for it. It was like being in school all over again.

The rules in this crummy joint though were lax. Fist fights were common but mostly were sparring sessions. No one was ever seriously hurt and it seemed like the instructors or whoever the hell they were called thought that everything should be considered a test. However they were strict on the use of weapons. It was all plain skin. That was is and also there was this thing about honor like no low blows or that sort of shit.

Dean made a systematic search for his little brother thinking that Sam decided to wander off with that one kid he had made friends with… Hakim it was. He spotted Sam's soccer group having fun cooling off near the lake and he stopped to ask, "Any of you guys see Sam?'

"Nah. He didn't show up today."

"Neither did Hakim."

Dean could care less about his brother's friend. Something was telling him that things were not all right. "Thanks." He took off running hearing 'codependent' and 'freak' in his ears. _Whatever you little bastards_, he thought as he raced looking for his brother.

~0~0~

Normally Sam was one to follow rules. It was ingrained in him since he was raised in the hunting life. Dad's rules were established for his and Dean's safety. If you didn't follow them, then you risked serious injury and possibly death. It sucked but it didn't help to complain. That is until Dad mentioned that he and Dean were going to summer camp.

For a camp that served to train the kids of hunters, it was about as close to normal, aside from school, that Sam could get. True he had to go through the regimen of training but there were games that made them like normal kids. The various games of soccer proved that and he had a new friend that came from a wealthy family but just wanted to be normal.

Hakim told him about his father and about his trainer during the school year. Sam was treated to an overblown vision of a woman who was like an angel. It was funny but kind of cool because she could beat up a guy like it was nothing. Sam told Hakim about Dean and how he was the best brother and that he once took down a werewolf.

Today though, Hakim told Sam that he found out about an old cabin in the forest and that supposedly it was where a bunch of old time stuff was and where the corpse of the founder of the camp was since he died and no one ever found the remains. He suggested that they skip soccer to go look for it and maybe they might find something good. They could have a hunt of their own.

It sounded tempting and even though Sam liked being around Dean and felt safe when they did hunts, he liked the idea of working with another hunter. So deciding to be a rule breaker, he agreed and they took off to where the cabin was. He felt bad that he hadn't mentioned anything to Dean and he knew his brother was going to be worried. That meant a lecture from mini-Dad aka Dean. He wanted to have fun though.

They found the cabin and it was kind of a disappointment. Though really very old, it looked fairly well kept up. Someone was living there. Sam let out a sigh of disappointment. "I think somebody lives here."

"Nobody lives here," Hakim protested. "Look." He pointed and noted the rotting wood on the shutters and the old stuff outside. "See that shed. I bet that has something neat and it isn't even locked."

Sam wasn't so sure but he followed Hakim's lead. They opened the shed and were greeted by a bloodied clown mask and knife. Sam couldn't help but scream out in fright. He tried to run but was startled by another clown mask and he fell down on his butt. There were other guys around wearing different masks but his eyes were on the clown mask with blood. He got stiff with fright and he willed himself to stand.

"All alone Winchester."

Sam recognized the voice and it was coming from the clown mask with the knife. He knew who it was but all he could see was the clown. He took a step back and bumped into Hakim who was scared too. He jerked back when the clown swooped at him and started, to his shame, feel tears. It had been years since he had been that close to one of those things and it still made him jump.

"You crying?" The clown leader looked at him. He then said, "Hey, we made the Winchester boy cry!"

Sam though didn't like being made fun of. Yeah he was scared of clowns and while it was okay for Dean to make fun of him with that on occasion, he didn't like it when other people did. Brushing the tears angrily aside and letting anger, rather than fear take control, he charged and drove his shoulder into the taller kid's stomach and tackled him.

Sam landed on top of the bully and began hitting him. For once he was glad that fighting was somewhat allowed even though he would rather avoid them and not be the freak. He didn't swing blindly but aimed and hit the clown in the face. Of course they were outnumbered and he was pulled off and was being pounded on by the others.

Hakim managed to get away to find help after giving a nice one to the shins. That was when he recognized Sam's older brother Dean. He had never met him before but he recognized the description well. He ran up to him and said, "Sam's in trouble."

~0~0~

Dean had been about to lose hope when he got the strange idea to head to the old abandoned cabin. It was a story to make the kids get all excited about. He had checked out the stories himself and none of them were true. He figured though it was a place that Sam would have gone just to have that normal kind of fun that he had been adamant about craving.

He picked up the pace and made a beeline. His big brother instincts were ringing that something wasn't right with Sam. He spotted the cabin when he saw Sam's friend come out shouting that his little brother was in trouble. He said, "Okay. I got it from here. Just go back and pretend everything is normal okay?"

It was stupid advice but he figured he'd be nice and let the kid with getting away with wandering off. Right now his priority was Sam and he headed towards the sounds of scuffling like a predator on the prowl. He saw a bunch of kids beating up on his little brother and two had on the thing that terrorized Sam the most. That was just wrong.

Dean charged and leapt onto the two that held Sam. Now that Sam was free, he had a partner. He took immense pleasure in hitting the punks that tormented his little brother. He looked at Sam who was kicking his way through the other guys while avoiding the two with clown masks. Dean took on those freely but he knew that some day Sam was going to have to face that particular fear.

Suddenly Dean heard a painful yelp and turned to see Sam holding his arm and it was bleeding. The leader had a knife, one of those small ones, and was swinging it at Sam. Dean charged but was tackled from behind and he fell. A rock hit his stomach and it winded him. He got a hit to his back on the shoulder blades before the guy was ripped off him suddenly.

Dean was still winded and he rolled off the rock to catch his breath. That was when he saw the guy with the knife get his wrist grabbed and twisted behind him. The rescuer was wearing a dark hoodie and looked like a chick but whoever it was knew their stuff. In the end the group of punks was scared off by the rescuer saying in a feminine but firm voice, "Don't try this again or there will be hell to pay."

Dean knew a threat when he heard it and thought it to be cool. He looked up to see the stranger kneel to take a look at Sam and his arm. In his protective mode, he stumbled to his feet and slurred slightly, "Back off." That was before he saw spots and then black.

Dean woke up to find himself in a room that was clean. He sat up suddenly and winced as the headache came through. He heard Sam say, "Easy Dean. You got a concussion."

Dean didn't remember getting hit but that was because his mind was focused on protecting Sam. He replied, "Yeah whatever Sammy." He looked over his brother and saw that he was sporting a black eye and there was a bandage where the knife got his arm. "You okay Sammy?"

"I'm fine. She fixed us up," Sam replied pointing at the lady who was busy by the fire that had been started.

It was then that Dean realized that it was getting dark. They wouldn't be able to make it back in time. The lady then said, "Don't worry about it. You can stay here and then go back in the morning. I'll have it squared with Mr. Garrett."

"You work here?" Dean eyed the back suspiciously.

"I help out on occasion. You need to rest since that was a nice clonk to the head you got."

"Yeah well I think," Dean started to get up. He was stopped when another wave of dizziness hit. "Sonofabitch."

"I told you that you needed rest. I'll finish this and you'll both have a meal and get some sleep. The headache will be gone by morning."

Dean looked at Sam who shrugged his shoulders. They both got the idea that this woman was someone that you didn't dare disobey. So they obeyed, sharing in a pot of rather filling stew and went to bed with full stomachs. For one, Dean didn't mind that Sam cuddled against him. The poor kid had a fright today. At least he was okay now. He fell asleep and didn't feel the slight combing on fingers through his hair and then Sam's like a mother would.

They were hauled in front of Garrett's desk the next day after they got back. They gave their case and managed to keep Hakim from getting into trouble. They however got stuck with cleanup duty in the mess hall for the rest of the week. The other punks were punished to after it was revealed that 'one decided to introduce a sharp object into the fight and swung at his opponent with intent to do serious harm.'

Dean thought it was a light sentence since it was cleanup. At least Sam was okay and that was what mattered. He looked over at Sam who was mopping the floor and he looked a little happy. He thought it strange but it was Sam. He then looked at the plate he was picking up and he knew whose plate it was and they had left a mess purposely. Well he'll do something about that.

"Thanks Dean."

Dean looked at his little brother who was giving him that dimpled smile of his. "Hey you're my pain in the ass little brother."

"Still."

"Hey, Rule Number One Sammy," Dean replied. He didn't have to go into detail with that one. He had explained it ever since Sam was old enough to go to school.

"Yeah I know," Sam replied with a grin. "It was a bit fun." He continued with his mopping looking ridiculous since the mop was longer than he was.

Dean smiled back. It may have been fun for Sam but for Dean it was a pain in the ass. Yeah his number one job was to look after Sammy but seeing his little brother cowered like that in fear. It rubbed the wrong way.

Dad sent them to this camp to have a little fun while still in training. Yeah there was some fun and not Sam's idea of it. Still there was one thing that Dean could honestly admit: Summer camp sucked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** A summer camp for hunters in the making? Weird but as always, the Winchester brothers had someone looking out for them.


End file.
